Jamshedpur, Dec. 6: Superintendent of police, CBI, Dhanbad circle, N.C. Jha today appeared in fast-track court VIII of A.K. Gupta to depose in the Nirmal Mahto murder case. Mahto was the founder of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.

According to sources, Jha said prepared the chargesheet in the case and submitted it in the court of first additional district judge S.K. Murari in 2000, when he was superintendent of police in the Ranchi circle. He said the main accused was Birender Singh. Two other accused Narendra Singh alias Pandit and Dhirendra Singh alias Pappu had been declared absconders. Jha is the 29th witness in the case.

Mahto was shot by Birendra Singh and his brothers Pappu and Pandit near the portico of Tisco?s Chameria guesthouse on August 8, 1987. In 2001, Singh was given life imprisonment. Pappu later surrendered and Pandit was arrested by Golmuri police.